Title: I Have Reason to Be Grateful
Contents
There is reason to be thankful (2 Thessalonians 2:12-17)
Today's text is part of the apostle Paul's letter to the Thessalonians. They were moved and rejoiced as children of God in the midst of tribulation, and they are grateful for the grace of salvation they have already received. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we hope that you will live a life of gratitude as well.
I. Because God has chosen us (13a)
God has chosen us from eternity (Ephesians 1:4). God did not choose us because He liked our actions. Even though he was a sinner, God chose him according to his good will. We have no qualifications (merit), but we have chosen them out of grace and love. We are not ordinary people. are the chosen people. This God's choice has long ago chosen me and foreordained me. (Romans 8:29) God knew me before I knew him. Before I loved God, the Lord loved me first. I hope this will be a time to give thanks to God for choosing us from among the billions of people.
Ⅱ. Because he was sanctified by the Holy Spirit (13)
One of the blessings that the saved people of God received is that the Spirit of God enters us. When the Spirit of God enters us, we seek God's holy life. He comes into me and helps me by being with me until the end of the world. Now that we have become children of God, we must imitate the holy image of God. It is natural for children of God to become like God by the power of the Holy Spirit. (1 Peter 1:15,16)
The sanctification of God's children is accomplished through the leading work of the Holy Spirit and our obedience (cooperation). Salvation is the sovereign and sole work of God, but sanctification, or sanctification, is accomplished through our cooperation with the Holy Spirit. God has chosen me and is working today to sanctify me so that I can live a life like a citizen of heaven. By obedience to the work of the Holy Spirit, I hope that God's holy disposition will appear in your life. Let's give thanks for choosing us from the beginning and making us holy people and saints by the power of the Holy Spirit. For us to be cleansed of our sins and become a holy people, it is not about cultivating the Way, cultivating, and studying science. (Romans 3:23) Give thanks for making us a holy people by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Ⅲ. Because he saved us through faith (13b)
Another of the graces we have received is to believe the truth. Salvation is not the result of our efforts. Salvation is a gift from God. The Bible emphasizes that salvation is completely through faith. A central truth of Christianity is that we are saved by faith. (Ephesians 2:8,9) If we believe in Jesus, we will be healthy and blessed. Receive the blessing of all things prosperity. But that is not the central truth. The central truth is that we are saved by faith. (John 14:6)
What is it like to be saved through faith in Jesus? If you put in some effort and do some good deeds and say that you will be saved, it would be easy to believe, but there are many people who do not believe because they say that if you believe, you will be saved. Those who believe in it will be saved, and those who do not believe in it will not be saved. It is a great blessing to believe the word of God. Therefore, it should be a life that gives thanks to God who saves me. I hope that you will become the saints who give thanks for God who saved me.
Ⅳ. It is because He has given you eternal comfort and good hope by grace (16).
① Eternal consolation
God's comfort strengthens the saints and makes them stand firm and unwavering forever.
Only God's comfort is true comfort and eternal comfort. The consolation the world gives is of little effect. Shaking and falling is not a wish. Let us spread the comfort that I have received.
② good wishes
For the believer, hope is not only good in nature, but also good in its results, because it is rooted in God's character and promises. The hope we received is not a hallucinogen that disappears after a while, or a hope that has a lonely end. It is a good hope from an unchanging God. The hope is that the start, process, and result are also good. Jesus is hope God's comfort and hope for the saints enable us to live boldly and maintain strong faith in the midst of extreme difficulties.
The life of the saved people is to cast away grudges and complaints and live with gratitude and emotion before God. Believe that even if people say no, he will give you eternal comfort and hope if you stand before God with a sincere heart. We have many reasons to be grateful. ① Because God chose us ② Because he sanctified us with the Holy Spirit ③ Because he saved us through faith ④ Because he gave us eternal comfort and good hope by grace. I hope that you will always live your life giving thanks to God for giving you such grace.